Street-car fender



(N0 Mddel.) 2 Sh88tS-Sheet 1.

P. HE'NNBSSY. STREET. GAR FENDER No. 567,388. 8 Patent d Sept. 8, 1896.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Nq'fi aem P. HENNESSY.

STREET GAR FENDER.

PatentedSept. 8, 18 96.

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retainer.

U ITED A STAT S"- PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK HENNESSY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STREET-CAR FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,388, datedSeptember 8, 1896. Application filed April 24,1896. Serial No. 588,891.(No model.)

T0 on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK HENNESSY, a

citizen of Canada, residing in the city and county of San Francisco,State of California, have invented an Improvement in Street-Car Fenders;and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same. l

My invention relates to the class of fenders or safety-guards for cars.

It consists in the novel construction, 'arrangemen ts, and combinationshereinafter fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofmy car-fender. Fig. 2 is a detail of the apron D and supplementary frameG. Fig. 3 is a top view ofthe fender. Fig. dis a detail 'of theside-wing Fig. 5 is a detail of the connection of side-wing line f withmain line 6. Fig. 6 is a detail of the front fingers I.

The object of my invention is to'provide" means for picking upautomatically and' safely an obstructing body, so that it will not bedragged or rolled, but will be raised and carried securely and withoutmaterial injury.

A is the car. Projecting from its front are carrying-arms B, the heightof which may be adjusted to suit the elevation at which it is desired tocarry the fender by means of suitable devicessuch, for example, as thenotched brackets Z), into any of the notches of which a bolt b isadapted to fit and which secures the arms B rigidly. J ournaled in theouter ends of the arms B is a rock-shaft C, to which is secured theconcave frame constituting the guard or apron- D. This frame consists oftwo side or end bars, a top crossbar, and a number of separated orspaced intervening bars d parallel with the side or end.

bars, said intervening bars being carried by a cross-rod d between theend bars and notched freely on the rock-shaft. The upper portion of thisframe or apron may be covered with suitable material, such as netting dbut the lower portion is open in the spaces between the bars of theframe. On the side the arms B.

to the bracket is a latch e the lower end of which engages and holdsupwardly from the ground the lower end of the lever E. WVith this latcha cable or line is connected, which extends forwardly through suitableguides and passes transversely across the forward ends of the bars ofthe guard or apron frame D, as is shown. Secured to the lever E at apoint above its sliding pivotal center is a cable or line e, whichextends forwardly through suitable guides and passes around a pulley don the rear upper end of the guardframe D, and thence down to the frontof the car, at which point it is attached.

The operation of the device as far as described is as follows: hen in anoperative position, the guard-frame D lies with the forward extremitiesof its bars as close to the roadway as may be desired, and it is held inthis position by its own weight, and is limited by means of stops d 011the sides of the frame coming in contact with the forward ends of Thelever E is at its forward limit of its supporting slotted bracket, andits lower end is held up from the ground by means of the latch 6 body ismet, it will pass between the forward ends of the bars orguards of thefender-frame D, and will come into contact with the cross line or cable6 so as to pull upon it, and this pulling will cause the latch e torelease the lever E, whereupon the lower end of said lever will dropdown into contact with the ground, and at a forward inclination, so thatit will engage firmly with the ground and be Now, if an obstructingpulled upon, which will have the effect of pulling back on the upperrear end of the guard-frame D, so that said guard-framewill swing, andwill thereby raise its forward end and will lift the obstructing bodyand support it upon itself, as in a b'asket'or cradle.

Ratchet-bars (Z secured to said frame and engaging with fixed pins bprojecting from the inner sides of the arms B, serve to hold the apronor fender frame D in whatever position it may be drawn back. As soon asthe lever Ereaches the rear upturned end 6 of its bracket, said leverwill be raised, and will thus disengage itself from the ground, and thusleave the guard or fender frame in its carrying position.

In order to provide the sides of the device with suitable protection,and to further the result of carrying the obstructing body safely andsecurely, I have the side guard-wings F, which consist of suitableframes filled in with netting, as shown. These frames are hinged alongtheir upper ends to the sides of the arms B, and when in operativeposition they hang down vertically, or substantially so, and thusinclose the sides.

To the lower sides of these wings are secured lines or cables f, whichextend upwardly through suitable guides and join a single line or cablef, which is brought downwardly through a suitable guide, and is fittedby means of a sliding ring f upon the line or cable 6 A fixed stop 6 issecured upon this last-named line 'or cable in advance of the slidingring f so that as it is pulled back it will come in contact with andpick up said ring, and will thereby pull upon the line or cable f.WVhen, now, the operation takes place which has heretofore beendescribed, by pulling backwardly on the line or cable 6 its fixed stop 6will come in contact with the ring f and will thereby pull the singleline or cable f, which, through its branches f, will cause the sidewings F to lift about their pivotal or hinged upper sides until theyalso come to an upward inclination, and thus complete the sides of thebasket or cradle formed by the backwardly-tilting guard D, so that theobstructing body will not have any tendency to roll out of the guard orfender. The side wings are held in the position to which they are raisedby means of a pawl f engaging the ratchet f In order to extend thepractical or working length of the guard or fender so that when theobstructing body is picked up it will have no chance to roll forwardagain andoff, I provide an extensible supplementary supportingframe G,consisting of bars or rods and a suitable cross-head 9. These bars orrods are supported under the bars of the main fender or apron frame D insuitable hangers in which they may freely slide. To the crosshead ofthis frame is secured a line or cable g, which extends forwardly andaround a suitable pulley g and thence back to the line or cable 6 towhich it is secured. The normal position of this supplementary frame G.

is withdrawn, so that its ends do not project beyond the extremities ofthe main fenderframe D, but when the operation heretofore described ofdropping the lever E takes place and its engagement with the ground iseffected, the line or cable g will pull the frame G forward, so that theextremities of its bars project beyond the extremities of the guardframeD, and thus extend it sufficiently to insure against the rollingforwardly of the obstructing body. Said supporting or supoperativeposition, will receive the contact of the obstructing body and be forcedbackwardly thereby, so that it will in this movement draw the springstogether, and thus cause them to clamp upon the obstructing body andprevent it from falling through be tween the bars, holding it securelyand giving the fender a chance to elevate and carry it. The extremitiesof the bars of the fenderframe' D are made adjustable, and they consistof fingers I, which are fitted telescopically upon the bars and arecontrolled by springs 2", which hold them projected and yet enable themto yield backwardly upon contact, so that they act as cushions. Thefingers are jointed at i" by a hinge, which enables them to yieldupwardly but not downwardly, and they are also jointed at i by aspring-controlled hinge, which enables them to yield laterally to eachside, so that no matter what their contact may be they will yield inevery necessary direction to break the force of the blow, and to furtherthis result the extremities of the fingers are provided with cushionedbuffers '6 of rubber or other suitable mate rial. The intervening bars dof the fenderframe are themselves pivotally mounted at their upper endsupon the upper cross-shaft, so that they, too, may yield to passingobstructions and avoid injury to themselves, and for a similar purposethe bars of the supportingframe G are pivotally mounted upontheircross-head g, so that they may yield also.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. In a car-fender having a swinging guard or apron, a lever slidablymounted on the car and so connected with the guard that the contact ofan obstructing body will cause the lever to contact with the ground andbe held while the car continues its movement and causes the guard tomove into its carrying position.

2. v A street-car fender, consisting of a swinging guard or apron, alever slidably mounted on the car and adapted when thrown in contactwith the ground to be arrested, while the car moves forward, andconnections from said. lever to the guard or apron, to swing it upwardlyto its carrying position.

3. A street-car fender, consisting of a swinging guard or apron, a leverslidably mounted on the car and adapted when thrown in contact with theground to be arrested, while the car moves forward, connections fromsaid le ver to the guard or apron, to swing it upwardly to its carryingposition, and the ratchet-bars and fixed pins, to hold the guard orapron in the position to which it is swung. 4. A street-car fender,consisting of a swinging guard or apron, a lever slidably mounted on thecar and adapted when thrown to the ground to be arrested during thecontinued movement of the car, a latch for holding said lever normallyout of contact with the ground, connections between said latch and theguard or apron whereby the contact of the obstructing body will trip thelatch, and connections between the lever and'the guard or apronwherebythe latter is swung upwardly to its carrying position. 7

5. A street-car fender consisting of a swing ing guard or apron, a leverslidably mounted on the car, a latch normally supporting said lever outof contact with the ground, and adapted when tripped to permit it tofall into contact therewith, whereby it is arrested as the car proceeds,a line extending from said latch and crossing the front of 'the guard orapron whereby an obstructing body acts to pull upon said line and tripthe latch, and a line extending from the lever to the guard or apron andadapted to swing said guard upwardly to its carrying position.

6. Astreet-car fender consisting of a swinging guard or apron, a leverslidably mounted on the car, a latch normally supporting said lever outof contact with the ground, and adapted when tripped to permit it tofall into contact therewith, whereby it is arrested as the car proceeds,a line extending from said latch and crossing the front of the guard orapron whereby an obstructing body acts to pull upon said line and tripthe latch, a'lineextending from the lever to the guard or apron andadapted to swing said guard upwardly to its carrying position, and theratchet-bars and fixed pins to hold the guard or apron in the positionto which it is swung.

7. In a street-car fender, and in combination with the swinging guard orapron, the sliding lever, the latch of said lever, and the lines bywhich the latch is tripped and the lever is caused to swing the guard,the slotted bracket upon the side of the car in which the lever isfreely pivoted, said bracket having the upcurved rear end adapting it towithdraw the lever from contact with the ground when its functioniscompleted.

8. In a car-fender, a swinging guard or apron, vertical side guards orwings hinged along their upper ends to the apron, and a lever slidablymounted on the car and so connected with the apron and side guards thatthe contact of an obstructing body will cause the lever to contact withthe ground and be held while the car continues its movements and swingsthe apron and guards into their carrying positions. 7

9; A street-car fender, consisting of a swinging apron or guard,swinging side guards or wings, and connections with said apron and wingsadapted to be operated by the movement of the car, to swing said apronand wings upwardly to their carrying positions, consisting of the leverslidably mounted upon the car and adapted to be arrested by contact withthe ground, and the lines or cables connecting said lever with the apronand wings.

10. A street-car fender, consisting 'of a swinging apron or guard,swinging side guards or wings, and connections with said apron andwings, adapted to be operated by the movement of the car, to swing saidapron and wings upwardly to their carrying positions, consisting of thelever slidably mounted on the car and adapted to be arrested by contactwith the ground, the lines or cables connecting said lever with theapron and wings, the trip-latch controlling said lever,'and the lineextending from said latch across the front of the apron whereby contactwith an obstructing body trips the latch and calls the lever intoaction. I

11. A car-fender, consisting of a swinging main guard or apron, a leverslidably mounted on the car and connections therefrom operated by themovement of the car for swinging said guard or apron to its carryingposition, a proj ectable supplementary guard-frame under the main apronor guard, and connections operated by the movement of the car forprojecting said supplementary guard when the main guard is swungupwardly.

12. A street-car fender, consisting of a swinging main guard or apron, aprojectable supplementary guard carried and adapted to slide under saidmain guard, a lever slidably mounted on the car and adapted tov bearrested by contact with the ground while the car continues, said leverhaving a tripping device, and means operated by the contact with theobstructing body for tripping said device, and the lines connecting saidlever with the swinging main guard whereby it is raised to its carryingposition, and with the supplementary guard, whereby it is simultaneouslyprojected beyond the main guard.

13. A street-car fender, consisting of a swinging mainguard aprojectable sliding guard under said main guard, swinging side wings,and mechanism operated by the movement of the car, for swinging upwardlythe main guard, projecting the supplementary guard and swinging upwardlythe side Wings.

14,. A street-car fender, consisting of a swinging main guard apr'ojectable sliding guard under said main guard, swinging side wings,and mechanism operated by the movement of the car for swinging upwardlythe main guard, projecting the supplementary guard and swinging upwardlythe side wings, consisting of the lever slidably mounted on the car andadapted to come in contact with the ground and to be arrested while thecar proceeds, and the lines connecting said lever with the main guard,the supplementary guard, and the side wings.

15, A street-car fender, consisting of a swinging main guard aprojectable sliding guard undersaid main guard, swinging side wings, andmechanism operated by the movement of the car for swinging upwardly themain guard, projecting the supplementary guard an d swinging upwardlythe side wings, consisting of the lever slidably mounted on the car andadapted to come in contact with the ground, and to be arrested while thecar proceeds, the lines connecting said lever with. the main guard, thesupplementary guard and the side wings, the trip-latch controlling saidlever, and its operating line extending across the front of the mainguard, and adapted by contact with the obstructing body, to operate thetrip-latch.

10. In a street-car fender, and in combination with the guard or apronconsisting of forwardly-projecting separated bars the interveningclamping-springs, and the sliding clamps thereon whereby an obstructingbody is caught and prevented from falling through between the bars ofthe guard.

17. In a street-car fender, the combination of the swinging guard orapron, consisting of separated forwardly-projecting bars, mechanismoperated by the movement of the car for swinging said guard or apron to'a carrying position, and the clampingsprings between the bars of theguard having the sliding clamps thereon and adapted to catch and hold anobstructing body from falling between said bars.

18. In a street-car lender, the swinging side wings, means operated bythe movement of the car to swing them upwardly, and the pawl and ratchetfor holding said side wings in the position to which they are swung.

- 19. In a street-car fender, the combination, with the frame-bars ofthe swinging guard or apron, of the front fingers slidable upon theextremities of said frame-bars, and spring controlled, said springshaving joints by which they are adapted to yield in all necessarydirections, and means for swinging the guard comprising a lever slidablymounted 011 the car and adapted to contact with the ground andconnections from the lever to the guard.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

PATRICK IIENNESSY.

\Vitnesses S. H. NoURsE, J EssIE O. BRODIE.

